Mercaptans, also known as thiols, are organic compounds that are used in diverse applications. Some mercaptans are used as agricultural supplements or as polymerization process modifiers. When mercaptans are present in large quantities, they are generally considered to be malodorous and highly undesirable. But in low concentrations these same compounds are used as fragrances and flavorings. When used in this manner they can be an effective and economical replacement of more expensive natural products in a wide variety of perfumed articles such as soaps, detergents, powders, perfume and cologne, and even as flavoring agents. For example, mercaptans are commonly used in perfumes and cleaning supplies to impart a lavender scent. In foodstuffs and other products, mercaptan compounds are widely used to reproduce the taste and fragrance associated with black currant or grapefruit.
The variety of tastes and flavorings available can be attributed the numerous mercaptan compounds that can be synthesized. Yet, while numerous compounds can be made, economical processes for the production of even relatively simple mercaptans are not available in some cases. In other cases, the purity of known processes require difficult separation steps to obtain mercaptans of a desired purity.